How Many Chains

[KsForester]

Curious how many chains everyone has for their saw(s). I have 8 for one and 3 for another saw. I'm definitely in the camp of just switching out chains when they get dull vs stopping to sharpen in the field. This dry dirty hedge seems to make quick work of chains.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Curious how many chains everyone has for their saw(s). I have 8 for one and 3 for another saw. I'm definitely in the camp of just switching out chains when they get dull vs stopping to sharpen in the field. This dry dirty hedge seems to make quick work of chains.

For brush and dirty wood I use semi-chisel chain, for dirty big logs chipper chain. It's rare I get clean wood and run full-chisel unless experimenting with filing profiles on a log reserved for testing.

If factory angle is 30° for the top plate I file a few beat up chains to 25°. File height above the top cutter if OEM 25% then I come up 5% to 30%, if it's 20% then I come up to between 25-30%. This makes the chain slower and less grabby (good for smaller limbs/brush) and last longer before dulling.

With that said as a general rule I keep 2 chains for brush, 2 for hard wood (30° 20%) and 2 for soft wood (35° 15%). However I also have chipper, semi, and full-chisel, plus different bar lengths for most saws because I do landscaping and run into a variety of different wood, a professional feller probably has far less variation and likely sharpens a few strokes every tank or two, and I say that only for general comparison. I sharpen in the shop because it's easier to hold different profiles and I have limited daylight and often need to make the most of it.

@Philbert has posted a lot of information on sharpening and has been an excellent resource on pretty much any chain detail. The Search function works great for finding answers to most common questions and quite a few uncommon ones.

That's all to say I use a chain/bar combination suited for the job, so depending on what you do you likely want something unique to your needs.

 

[bwalker]

One chain on the saw and a new back up. Full chisel only.

 

[KsForester]

For brush and dirty wood I use semi-chisel chain, for dirty big logs chipper chain. It's rare I get clean wood and run full-chisel unless experimenting with filing profiles on a log reserved for testing.

If factory angle is 30° for the top plate I file a few beat up chains to 25°. File height above the top cutter if OEM 25% then I come up 5% to 30%, if it's 20% then I come up to between 25-30%. This makes the chain slower and less grabby (good for smaller limbs/brush) and last longer before dulling.

With that said as a general rule I keep 2 chains for brush, 2 for hard wood (30° 20%) and 2 for soft wood (35° 15%). However I also have chipper, semi, and full-chisel, plus different bar lengths for most saws because I do landscaping and run into a variety of different wood, a professional feller probably has far less variation and likely sharpens a few strokes every tank or two, and I say that only for general comparison. I sharpen in the shop because it's easier to hold different profiles and I have limited daylight and often need to make the most of it.

@Philbert has posted a lot of information on sharpening and has been an excellent resource on pretty much any chain detail. The Search function works great for finding answers to most common questions and quite a few uncommon ones.

That's all to say I use a chain/bar combination suited for the job, so depending on what you do you likely want something unique to your needs.

99% of my cutting is felling, limbing and bucking hedge. I do cut some mixed hard and soft for the few "recreation" burners I sell to. I sharpen all chains on an oregon electric grinder in the shop. The bench grinder is all I've known for sharpening, passed down from Grandad and Uncle. Although, I've been increasingly interested in alternate ways to sharpen lately I haven't branched out.

I'm sure there is netter ways to get a sharper edge than my current process but it's what I know and I'm relatively fast at it.

 

[Philbert]

I try to have 3 chains per saw out in the field. That way I can swap if I hit something, if I’m pressed for time, or just do not feel like sharpening.

I also use an Oregon grinder back home. But I carry a file and guide in the field for ‘touch up’ sharpening.

*The key is to ‘grind as you file, and file as you grind’. *

If you grind with the side of your wheel, and create flat spots, or file in some unique way that your grinder has trouble matching, you will waste lots of time, and lots of tooth life, matching profiles, before you ever get to sharp edges.

Philbert

 

[pioneerguy600]

Somewhere in the area of 300 chains, I once had it figured out there was over 300 feet of chain hanging on the bars plus all the spare loops.

 

[NSEric]

I have 2 chains for each of my saws and I take a spare saw most times. So I can dull 4 chains before I have to stop to sharpen or go home. I dont cut a ton of wood so this is lots.

 

[Philbert]

Somewhere in the area of 300 chains, I once had it figured out there was over 300 feet of chain hanging on the bars plus all the spare loops.

I wasn’t counting all the chains in the basement! Just how many I try to have in the field.

Philbert

 

[damifino]

At least two if not three.

 

[KsForester]

Somewhere in the area of 300 chains, I once had it figured out there was over 300 feet of chain hanging on the bars plus all the spare loops.

300??

 

[jblnut]

I have three chains for each bar in each style I use in each bar. I hang chains up in the shop on a large piece of plywood with the bar hung up behind them. When going to cut wood I’ll put whatever bar I want on whatever saw I’m bringing and load the chains into a piece of pvc pipe with a bolt through one end to hold them. Works great and keeps them clean. I’ll quickly hand file a chain when I fuel but if it gets rocked or something else dumb I pitch it in the pail with the tools and toss a new one on.

I think all that math puts around 80 chains hanging on hooks in the shop in varying conditions of use. Not counting new chains.

 

[KTM 350]

3-4 New ready on shelf. Two extra for each saw in black tool box. One on fuel can and one in tool belt for the saw in use use that day. Will touch my chain during the day as a rest from cutting. The spares are just in case I do some metal detecting or trench digging. Faster to change then fix a loop.

 

[Chucksta]

40 (ish), hanging on the wall in the garage, leftovers from when I used to do it for money. When I downsized the herd (retired), I sold 6 or 7 saws, each one went out the door with a sharp, reasonably new, sharp loop, and a spare, used, sharp loop. I kept the rest that fit what I kept ( 6 saws). I also have 50 to 60 ft. of saw chain that I can make up new loops with.
I also have a few "beater bars"... If I'm going to be off my property, I bring one and loop that fits... In case I 'eff up and pinch the bar. Then I can swap the power head onto the beater bar and spare chain, then rescue my sorry self.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Way to many couldnt even begin to figure that out.

 

[pioneerguy600]

300??

From your post count and your join up date I can see you have not been on here long. There are members on here that own 200, 300 and even 700 or more chainsaws so just a mere 300 loops of chain hardly scratches the surface of chainsaw collectors/users. If I counted up all the rolls of new chain I have the count would triple easily.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I have a couple rolls of 100' and a 25' rolls too. So that can make a few extra loops too to what ever drive link count I want. Add that to the used and new loops in above pic.

 

[KsForester]

From your post count and your join up date I can see you have not been on here long. There are members on here that own 200, 300 and even 700 or more chainsaws so just a mere 300 loops of chain hardly scratches the surface of chainsaw collectors/users. If I counted up all the rolls of new chain I have the count would triple easily.

That's impressive!

 

[sundance]

WOW, God...never thought I'd get so close. Good to hear from you.

 

[Stihlproincky]

I got 3 saws with different length bars when one gets dull I grab another saw of course i'm careful to not dull my chains but it happens. That's what works for me. So 1 chain for 1 saw.

 

[Stihlproincky]

Lucky for us I know a tree service that throws away their dull once used chains so we're set on free chains
So the 1 chain method might change.